Garden tap flow rate

It is easy to measure a garden tap flow rate using some ordinary items that are usually available in the home. 

How to do it: 

You will need a measuring jug or bucket that can contain up to 2 litres of water or more. 

It must have markings in litres, or, if the jug is graduated in milliliters, you will need to divide by 1000 to get litres.

Run the tap, fully open, for 6 seconds – then quickly close the tap.  Use the timer on your mobile phone for an easy and accurate timing method.

Note the amount of water in jug, in litres.

Multiply the litres figure x 10

This will give you your garden tap flow rate in litres per minute.

A normal rate will be at least 10 litres per minute.  Anywhere between 10 and 15 litres per minute is acceptable. 

The ideal garden tap flow rate should be above 15 litres per minute for the best sprinkler performance.

A good alternative:

Purchase a Gardena Water Meter AquaCount This fantastic little device just clicks between your quick release tap connector and the hose connector. 

You will have a visual reading of the current flow, in litres per minute, or water consumption per day.  Efficient water use is good for your wallet, if you're on a meter, and also good for the environment.

Measure the pressure instead:

The alternative to measuring your garden tap flow rate, is to measure the pressure.  Read our low pressure from hose pipe blog for more information.

The tap pressure is related to the flow rate, and this is also easy to measure using a simple tool, available here.  The two measurements are simply different ways to measure performance of your garden water supply.

You can therefore establish whether the output of your garden tap is sufficient to supply your garden watering systems, and to diagnose poor sprinkler performance or a low water flow rate from the hose pipe.